Evangelism, Sovereignty and Manipulation

If you've talked to me much the last couple months, since I've returned from Ireland, then you've probably heard me talk about this or something close. When I returned to America, I was appalled with the way most American Evangelical Christians do evangelism.

The tendency is to emphasize how easy it is to "accept Jesus", and not consider that it was not at all easy for Jesus to endure the cross and separation from the Father to save us. This leads to a weak, minimalist, man-centered theology. Moreover, I have personally witnessed preachers emotionally manipulate congregations into making a decision. While a decision to follow Christ is a part of our salvation, the cause of our decision can only come by regeneration of the Holy Spirit, not through a counterfeit emotional experience. But so many practice evangelism as if we can trick men into being Christians, and as if we can fool God by holding Him accountable to a one-time decision. If we are primarily saved by our decision to follow Jesus, then what happens when we decide not to follow him, which is what we decide every time we sin?

Yet many preachers evangelize in this way in order to see results, results not necessarily to boast in their efforts, but in order to see measurable progress. So often, sadly, our faith is contingent upon seeing God work, yet we are called to trust that God is accomplishing "all things according to the counsel of his will" (Eph 1:11), even when we can't see it. It takes a greater level of faith to do real evangelism, not manipulation. We need to trust that God is more interested in glorifying himself than we are.

Until recently, I had not clearly and directly recognized how our view of God's sovereignty played into evangelism. For my Evangelism and Church Growth class at Beeson Divinity, we read a book by J.I. Packer titled Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. Packer explains that a high view of God's sovereignty over all things does not inhibit man's responsibility, nor evangelism, but quite the opposite. He explains:

So far from inhibiting evangelism, faith in the sovereignty of God's government and grace is the only thing that can sustain it, for it is the only thing that can give us the resilience that we need if we are to evangelize boldly and consistently and not be daunted by temporary setbacks. So far from being weakened by this faith, therefore, evangelism will inevitably be weak and lack staying power without it.

Concerning manipulation, Packer, writing in 1959 apparently foresaw what a low view of God's sovereignty would create in Evangelical Christianity, for he describes what is common today:

If we regarded it as our job, not simply to present Christ, but actually to produce converts--to evangelize, not only faithfully, but also successfully--our approach to evangelism would become pragmatic and calculating...(If this were true) We must have...an irresistible technique for inducing a response...And we should evaluate all evangelism, our own and other people's, not only by the message preached, but also of visible results...Thus our philosophy of evangelism would become terrifyingly similar to the philosophy of brainwashing.

Packer goes on to say,

It is not right when we regard ourselves as responsible for securing converts, and look to our own enterprise and techniques to accomplish what only God can accomplish. To do that is to intrude ourselves into the office of Holy Ghost, and to exalt ourselves to the agents of the new birth. And the point that we must see is this: only by letting our knowledge of God's sovereignty control the way in which we plan, and pray, and work in his service, can we avoid becoming guilty of this fault. For where we are not consciously relying on God, there we shall inevitably be found relying on ourselves. And the spirit of self-reliance is a blight on evangelism.

We are called to proclaim the gospel, in word and deed, everywhere and all the time with heartfelt love and compassion for all. But it is dangerous when we operate under the false pretense that it depends on us. Instead, we go forth declaring the victory Jesus already won at the cross! Go forth and make disciples with the conviction that our mission cannot fail as long as God is on his throne!